Page 2
John A. Bell
Comments
Dear Editor,
I am writing this letter for
two reasons: 1) by order of the
Administrative Board as a
redemptive measure for the
acts of mine deemed
"antisocial", and 2) because
community life is an important
topic that occupies my mind
much of the time. The
"antisocial" acts I committed
were those of breaking the
visitation rule, disorderly
conduct, and the illegal use of
another's personal property.
Were these acts so awful? No,
none of the parties involved
thought so, including the
individual pressing charges.
For me they were simply
spontaneous expressions of
youthful exuberance, induced
by alcoholic intoxication. Here
the plot thickens, for they may
have been indicative of an
underlying problem in the
community.
It was clear to all by this
admission that the problem at
hand was not my specific acts
but rather the pervasive lack
of true community spirit. This
is the problem that I am
addressing and it is a very real
problem. Communal cohesion
is not artificially coerced from
its members, but a genuine
organic form of cooperation
and mutual consideration,
which is the only viable kind.
The lack of this cohesion
provides a culture for
irresponsible and destructive
behavior.
We must keep in mind that
this problem is not an isolated
phenomenon particular to
Guilford College; it is the
same problem that we see in
our urban waste lands which
makes them almost unlive
able. Our social life here
behind the walls of academia
is in many ways a microcosm
of the larger society beyond
the walls. It is past time that
we grow to the realization that
the quality of life we desire is
one that we must work toward.
It is an illusion to expect that
our needs, much less our
wants, will automatically be
available as soon as we
emerge from our secure
embryonic state known as
college. So what's wrong with
living under this type of
illusion? Simply this: here
Letters to the editor
someone else is calling the
shots.
Now, all of us abhor those
individuals who, in a fit of
moral zeal, harp on what they
see as "apathy". I do not plan
to join these people because 1)
it is counter-productive simply
to criticize, and 2) it is not
apathy that has infected our
community mind. I do not see
apathy here, for apathy is
defined as a lack of concern.
There is present a great deal
of concern and honest caring,
but it has no direction. What I
do see here as elsewhere is
desperation, estrangement,
and a lack of vision.
Estrangement 1 consider to be
the underlying tormenter. In
the past it has been possible
simply to ignore, run from, or
at least write a check for the
uncomfortable situations that
we were faced with. This is no
longer possible. The malig
nant social problems we tried
sweeping under the carpet
have reappeared; we ignore
them now at the risk of having
them snowball. If this is not
already the case, these
malignancies will deteriorate
the fabric of our society to an
irreparable' point.
On our tiny spaceship Earth
it is impossible to continue to
consider one person's problem
as his/her exclusively. The old
philosophy of "do your own
thing" was a liberting one at
the time of Joseph McCarthy
and the Red Scare, but that
was 20 years ago and times
have since changed. As is
many times the case, the
oppressed become the oppres
sors - and this I believe to be
the case with the aforesaid
anachronistic philosophy.
When we needed individua
listic thinkers to move us from
the "apple pie/God and
country" mentality it was well
and good, but "do your own
thing" is now the prevailing
mentality and is equally as
stifling as was the philosophy
it replaced. It is now
imperative that we analyze our
social problems (as I have
said, estrangement being one
such fundamental problem)
and begin looking for creative
ways in which to deal
effectively with them. It is not
my proposal to return to the
previous values but to strike
John A. Bell Continued on
Page 5
The Gafifordlaa
How SAC
Got Me
The first time one is tried
for an offense, whether on the
federal, state, country, city or
institutional level, the occa
sion and it's subsequent
anxieties are memorable.
More important than this,
however, is the lesson one
learns from their trial or
hearing. The true value of the
proceedings to the individual
are determined only by his
attempt to draw upon this
experience and to use it as a
guide for future activities.
Aristotle declares that
humans commit crimes for
three reasons: lack of
necessities, pleasure as a
result of an unsatisfied desire,
and pleasure and the creation
of an unsatisfied desire. The
largest portion of individuals
fall into the second category.
Indeed, the majority of
offenses brought before the
Guilford College Judicial
Board and Student Affairs
Committee are outcomes of
this psychological condition.
As a general rule, one who
has committed an offense
needs and usually deserves to
be punished. The individual
has not abided by established
regulations and no further
warning should be required.
These regulations are, in
themselves, warnings. The
offense is obviously a result of
personal problems and/or
anxieties and punishment for
the offense may even result in
the solution of these particu
lars.
The Guilford College Stu
dents Affairs Committee has a
most effective manner of
imposing a penalty. This work
is not hard physical labor, it is
in the form of an educational
endeavor which stimulates the
intellect of the individual.
Speaking from personal exper
ience, the individual, as he
performs his specified tasks is
inevitably made conscious of
the essence of his offense.
Certainly one who has
consciously committed an
offense merely for it's
pleasure cannot be justified
even unto himself. As a result,
this individual implants his
newly acquired value into his
conscious mind and, if honest,
will develop his ideals in
accordance with this value.
The judicial proceedings
themselves are rather infor
mal and foUow guidelines
similar to those in higher
courts. The defendents, com-
plaintants, witnesses, and
members of the Board sit in a
circle in the seat of their
choice. However, the proceed
ings do not lack seriousness
and, naturally, the defendents
are not without some inner
tension,
Such is the manner in which
the Student Affairs Committee
has influenced me. The only
misfortune is that it was
necessary for a board of this
nature, which even includes
fellow students, to bring me
into a realistic method of
thought. Fortunate will be
those who can benefit from the
experiences of others. Hope
fully, this article will serve in a
similar manner for others.
Failure to Rehire
is Questioned
Dear Editor:
Most students in Guilford
are aware of the presence of
the Women's varsity program.
This program includes a
volleyball, tennis and basket
ball team as well as a softball
club that started this year.
Any programs' success and
advancement has to do greatly
with the type of coach in
charge. I find it unbelievable
that after winning the State
Championship in volleyball
this year (coming in second
last year) ending in fourth
place' at the Division 111 State
Basketball Tournament and
working hard to better the
women's varsity program,
Gayle Currie the Women's
Basketball, Volleyball and
Softball Coach will not be
hired for next year.
There are many things,
which make a coach. It is a
person who knows the sport
she coaches, a person who
cares about each athlete as a
person and a player and a
person who is there when you
need to talk to someone. There
isn't anyone better who can
wear the title "coach" except
Gayle Currie.
There isn't anyone who I
respect as much as a person
April 20, 1976
and a coach as I do Coach
Currie. I have seen her many
times stay over in conferences
with players sometimes as
much as two or three hours
after practice finishes. For a
person wo was here only one
hour before practice time, it
seemed like she would always
find the time to talk to you.
The only thing a player
needed to say was "coach I
need to talk to you" and she
would find the time. She has
also stayed with injured or sick
players to make sure they
were okay. At times staying
with a player meant getting
home at 3:30 a.m. and be up
by 7 a.m. to go to work. I don't
think many people are
honestly willing to do that, but
she did.
Aside from being a coach,
she was a friend.
As a coach, she worked hard
to help each individual achieve
her full potential and she was
always patient.
This is the kind of person
which has been here for two
years. It doesn't make sense
that she will not be back.
Guilford will have so many
more highly skilled women
athletes who want a competi
tive program. In order to have
that, you must have a coach
who can afford to put all her
attention to the profession of
coaching. This is the type of
coach Coach Currie is.
I'm sure others know the
loss that Guilford and the
women's program will suffer if
Coach Currie does not come
back. I know that for me it is a
tremendous loss!
Sincerely,
Alina Lebrato
Student Asksthat
Chompers
be Controlled
Dear Editor,
Habits are hard to break,
mostly because a person is
unaware that they have one or
they aren't conscious of the
habit when they are doing it.
At any rate, habits are
annoying, but the most
offensive are the noisy ones.
This letter is really aimed at
Letters to the Editor
Continued on Page 5